The Giants were 75-20 last season when they scored four or more runs in a game. This year they are 39-11. Last year, when they allowed three or fewer runs, they were 70-12. This year, 39-15. Last night, they didn't get the memo on the three/four run thing, or maybe they forgot. Hey, I'm a math teacher, people forget math all the time. The 2013 Giants are a long way from 70 wins total, but the point stands. You can do all the analysis you want, but it comes down to something pretty simple: score four runs or more, allow three or fewer. Ryan Vogelsong had a bad inning and gave up three runs. The Giants clawed back to tie the game, only to lose. They could not get that fourth run and take the lead and that doomed them to another loss in a season of losses. I wish I had a story to tell, but it wouldn't be much more than "other team scores more runs than Giants." Oh, there were some nice defensive plays (Brandon Crawford, Angel Pagan). That's good. The Giants have been close to the worst fielding team in the nation this year after being close to the best last year. Whoops, there's that story I was looking for: the best team in the land turns into the worst team in the land for the first time in baseball history. I don't like that story.
Yusmeiro Petit gets a shot against his old team this afternoon. Go Giants!
--M.C.
p.s. I lifted the numbers from the sidebar at Obsessive Giants Compulsive.
Showing posts with label other blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label other blogs. Show all posts
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Two down, seven to go
The San Francisco Giants finish their second inning of 2012 with another 9-9 record, putting them at .500 (18-18) for the season. Seven-ninths of the season remains, and that's a good thing. The first two-ninths were damn ugly. The Giants are lucky to be even, and it is once again the result of excellent pitching. Take a look at Obsessive Giants Compulsive--there's a nice breakdown of the April starts. (Matt Cain is a beast, but we knew that.) May (6-8) has not been as kind as April (12-10), but we know the team will live and die with starting pitching. That's reason for confidence going forward, despite, of course, reason #1 to be a little freaked out:
1. Tim Lincecum
Who are we seeing out there? It looks like Tim, sorta. I think he has an evil, twisted half-brother named Loki LeRoy Lincecum. LLL exists to tease us with glimpses of World Champion Cy Tim and then parade a substandard Tim before us and subject him to ghastly scenes. Real Tim needs to free himself of Loki's cruel curse. Guys have shitty years, even guys like Tim. But they also have crappy starts and finish strong. I'm on the optimist side here. Tim is a great athlete and is as prideful and competitive as anyone in the game. He will figure things out and perform more like Real Tim real soon. And speaking of ghastly, shitty, and crappy, that brings me to item #2 on the list of reasons to be a little freaked out:
2. Fielding
The Giants can't seem to. It is awful to watch. I mean it, I'm in awe of their wretched incompetence. I can't recall such a stretch of poor fielding for many seasons. Perhaps they were this bad a few years back, but I've blotted it out. This is stuff worthy of blotter--hey, it worked for Dock Ellis. Seriously, this is one stink-o outfit with the glove, something I'm quite surprised by. I thought for a while it was FNGs not used to playing together, too many rooks, Buster's long layoff, that is, it would improve with time. It has not. They still suck on D. That has to change. A pitching team needs to play well in the field. This lineup, even with a healthy Panda, is challenged enough. The team has to catch the damn ball or they will continue to give away runs.
Those are the biggies. Fix those two and the rest of the problems are just that, problems. #1 and #2 are much bigger than problems--they could doom the season. But the rest of the problems, like #3 the bullpen and #4 injuries, which overlap a bit, aren't so bad. Brian Wilson going down was a big blow, and the 'pen took another hit when Jeremy Affeldt hurt himself and had to go on the DL. Guillermo Mota may not have had impressive stats, but he was tough and smart and sucked up a lot of innings in ugly spots that kept the rest of the guys fresh. Losing him means trial-by-fire rookie rounds, so far not really working. Let's hope we find a guy with the grit and perseverance to embrace mop-up/long relief duties. Things are unsettled, but fixable.
The injury that's hurt the most, of course, is the weird one to Pablo Sandoval. Talk about a curse! The same injury, but in the opposite hand, cutting short a brilliant season and crippling the lineup. What have we done to offend The Baseball Gods? How could this happen twice? The good part is that he is young and determined and will be back later. That will be a big lift. Buster Posey looks like he's still recovering some from his horrible injury last season. I'm glad the Giants are working him at first and giving him off-days with Hector Sanchez. Like Sandoval, Posey is young and determined and I think he will be fully healthy down the stretch.
I have decided not to add a #5, as it is too tired of a topic. We know the offense is bad. Really bad. Like fourth-from-the-bottom runs scored in the NL bad. So I won't mention it.
There's a lot of baseball left to play. The Giants can get better. Two games against the reigning champs are up ahead. They score a hell of a lot of runs, it will be fun to see if Giants pitchers can shut them down.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
1. Tim Lincecum
Who are we seeing out there? It looks like Tim, sorta. I think he has an evil, twisted half-brother named Loki LeRoy Lincecum. LLL exists to tease us with glimpses of World Champion Cy Tim and then parade a substandard Tim before us and subject him to ghastly scenes. Real Tim needs to free himself of Loki's cruel curse. Guys have shitty years, even guys like Tim. But they also have crappy starts and finish strong. I'm on the optimist side here. Tim is a great athlete and is as prideful and competitive as anyone in the game. He will figure things out and perform more like Real Tim real soon. And speaking of ghastly, shitty, and crappy, that brings me to item #2 on the list of reasons to be a little freaked out:
2. Fielding
The Giants can't seem to. It is awful to watch. I mean it, I'm in awe of their wretched incompetence. I can't recall such a stretch of poor fielding for many seasons. Perhaps they were this bad a few years back, but I've blotted it out. This is stuff worthy of blotter--hey, it worked for Dock Ellis. Seriously, this is one stink-o outfit with the glove, something I'm quite surprised by. I thought for a while it was FNGs not used to playing together, too many rooks, Buster's long layoff, that is, it would improve with time. It has not. They still suck on D. That has to change. A pitching team needs to play well in the field. This lineup, even with a healthy Panda, is challenged enough. The team has to catch the damn ball or they will continue to give away runs.
Those are the biggies. Fix those two and the rest of the problems are just that, problems. #1 and #2 are much bigger than problems--they could doom the season. But the rest of the problems, like #3 the bullpen and #4 injuries, which overlap a bit, aren't so bad. Brian Wilson going down was a big blow, and the 'pen took another hit when Jeremy Affeldt hurt himself and had to go on the DL. Guillermo Mota may not have had impressive stats, but he was tough and smart and sucked up a lot of innings in ugly spots that kept the rest of the guys fresh. Losing him means trial-by-fire rookie rounds, so far not really working. Let's hope we find a guy with the grit and perseverance to embrace mop-up/long relief duties. Things are unsettled, but fixable.
The injury that's hurt the most, of course, is the weird one to Pablo Sandoval. Talk about a curse! The same injury, but in the opposite hand, cutting short a brilliant season and crippling the lineup. What have we done to offend The Baseball Gods? How could this happen twice? The good part is that he is young and determined and will be back later. That will be a big lift. Buster Posey looks like he's still recovering some from his horrible injury last season. I'm glad the Giants are working him at first and giving him off-days with Hector Sanchez. Like Sandoval, Posey is young and determined and I think he will be fully healthy down the stretch.
I have decided not to add a #5, as it is too tired of a topic. We know the offense is bad. Really bad. Like fourth-from-the-bottom runs scored in the NL bad. So I won't mention it.
There's a lot of baseball left to play. The Giants can get better. Two games against the reigning champs are up ahead. They score a hell of a lot of runs, it will be fun to see if Giants pitchers can shut them down.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Did the Giants do enough at the deadline?
I mentioned in a comment yesterday that the Yankees, possessors of the best offense in baseball, felt the need to go out and get two hitters at the deadline. They were rumored to be interested in Adam Dunn, but wound up with Lance Berkman and Austin Kearns instead. Here's quote from River Avenue Blues, the excellent Yankees blog:
But--and there's always a but--the Giants still need help on offense. Think about it: the best team and most successful franchise in the HISTORY OF THE SPORT made an effort to improve their offense (as well as their bullpen). What do they know that the Giants don't? The Yankees have an enviable track record of winning. They are doing something right. I think that something is the ceaseless quest for upgrading at every roster spot.
Here's a few thought from outstanding Giants blogger El Lefty Malo:
Here's a few more thoughts, this time from the smart and insightful Triples Alley:
--M.C.
*Fucking New Guy
While the team has sat in first place since mid-June, there are always opportunities to improve.Wow. That is the mind-set over there in Yankees-land. First place ain't enough. You have to improve. I guess that's why they ran out of fingers and toes (for all their rings) in the Bronx. The Padres knew they had a weak offense, and went out and got Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Tejada. Ludwick is a smart move. The jury is out on Tejada, he'll probably hurt them defensively, and it remains to be seen if he can contribute the power they are looking for, but it is at least an effort at improving. The Dodgers made a flurry of moves, but until they start hitting as a team they are going to flounder. Ted Lilly won't help if they only score 2 runs per game--look at Clayton Kershaw. (I sure hope their offense doesn't get back on track.) The Giants had an obvious bullpen problem, and they got two guys who look like they can help. In fact, FNG* Javier Lopez got a big out in the 8th yesterday, just what the doctor ordered.
But--and there's always a but--the Giants still need help on offense. Think about it: the best team and most successful franchise in the HISTORY OF THE SPORT made an effort to improve their offense (as well as their bullpen). What do they know that the Giants don't? The Yankees have an enviable track record of winning. They are doing something right. I think that something is the ceaseless quest for upgrading at every roster spot.
Here's a few thought from outstanding Giants blogger El Lefty Malo:
The best can also afford like no other team to make themselves better, but the point is, just because the offense finally seems perfectly adequate doesn't mean the Giants shouldn't keep trying to improve it . . . I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer, I'm just saying there are plenty of scenarios in which the Giants' league-best offensive output in July falls off in August and September. Why not make a move or two to prevent those scenarios from happening?Wow. That's hardcore. But I tell you what, I'm with him. Even if we are in the post-season this year, I'll be hollering about how we don't have enough goddamn hitting. I've been hollering about it all year long so I won't quit now. You come to RMC for consistency, dammit, and I aims to please.IfWhen the Giants win the World Series, I'll still argue they need another bat.
Here's a few more thoughts, this time from the smart and insightful Triples Alley:
Let’s face it- most of the hitters we have on the roster really just aren’t very good. But we’re getting some brilliant production from two unlikely players- Aubrey Huff and Andres Torres, both of whom should receive MVP consideration at the end of the year. There’s a possibility that both players have reached new standards of performance, but…there’s also a possibility that we’ve caught lightning in a bottle. Now is the time to go for broke rather than rebuild or stand pat; now is the time to make a move that ensures our chances of making the playoffs. This means that we should not sit and twiddle our thumbs, hoping for Pablo Sandoval to figure things out and hit like he did last year. Huff, Torres and Posey cannot carry the offense by themselves, although they’re doing an awfully good job at it. We need a bat, and we need one now. It doesn’t have to be an elite hitter a la Adam Dunn, although that would be nice. No, a simple above average hitter would do the trick.To be fair to Triples Alley, he spent most of a paragraph getting really excited about the 2010 Giants before throwing out his "but". He, like me and the aforementioned Mr. Malo, is a fan. We loves us some Giants. And we are excited about this club, especially as it looks more and more like we will be one of the best teams in the league. So I'll leave it to you, dear readers. Did the Giants do enough at the trade deadline?
--M.C.
*Fucking New Guy
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Fun with numbers
Aubrey Huff's two-homer game was the twelfth of his career, and he has 222 lifetime bombs.
Baseball Musings notes that Kelly Johnson's cycle was the 146th since 1957, and only the 23rd for a losing team.
Andres Torres' five triples put him in fourth place on the league leaderboard, tied with three others.
Only three teams in the NL have a winning record on the road. Can you name them?
--M.C.
Baseball Musings notes that Kelly Johnson's cycle was the 146th since 1957, and only the 23rd for a losing team.
Andres Torres' five triples put him in fourth place on the league leaderboard, tied with three others.
Only three teams in the NL have a winning record on the road. Can you name them?
--M.C.
Monday, July 19, 2010
50 years ago today
THT writer Chris Jaffe sent me a note about Juan Marichal's debut--it was 50 years ago today, July 19th! It is, of course, one of those bits of Giants lore all good orange & black fans know about. I thought with MadBum going tonight it might be a good thing to channel some of the Dominican Dandy's mojo. Check out Chris' piece here. It is the highest Game Score in a debut performance (2-hit shutout, 12 K) in baseball history.
You can check out the box score here. Only 13,279 were in attendance at the 'Stick. That would have been a big crowd back in those lean 70s seasons, eh?
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
You can check out the box score here. Only 13,279 were in attendance at the 'Stick. That would have been a big crowd back in those lean 70s seasons, eh?
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Missing George
Yes, I will miss George Steinbrenner. He was obnoxious, self-important, obsessive, and bizarre. He was probably a jackass, too. But he knew what he wanted--a championship ballclub. And that's what I want. So with George gone, who shall become my new Straw Man? Who shall I point to and say "Giants Ownership--do this if you want to bring home a ring?" Which organization will be my new role model? I'm lost, I tell you, lost!
Giants Ownership: stop equating "pretty good" with success. Start demanding a world championship and start doing what it takes to get one.
Mr. Steinbrenner: rest in peace.
--M.C.
Giants Ownership: stop equating "pretty good" with success. Start demanding a world championship and start doing what it takes to get one.
Mr. Steinbrenner: rest in peace.
--M.C.
"If we're gonna win, the players gotta play better,
the coaches gotta coach better, the manager gotta manage better,
and the owners gotta own better."
the coaches gotta coach better, the manager gotta manage better,
and the owners gotta own better."
- Brewers first baseman George Scott, to the club chairman
(from Cot's Contracts)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Run scoring
A poor hitting team averages 4 runs per game. For a season, that's 648 runs. The Giants scored 657 runs in 2009. A good hitting team averages 5 runs per game. 810 runs in a season will put you among the league leaders. The 2009 Phillies scored 820 runs. The league average last year was 4.43, or 718 runs. Seven NL clubs managed to score more than 4.5 runs per game: Philadelphia, Colorado, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Florida, Atlanta, and St. Louis.
Baseball Musings has been running a series on team offense (see the Giants entry here). Mr. Pinto gives a breakdown of his procedure here. Mostly, he relies on Marcel the Monkey forecasts. The neat part is the Lineup Analysis Tool. You plug the player projections in to the lineup slots and see how many runs per game that combination creates. For the Giants, they score the most runs when the pitcher bats 8th! This, of course, will never happen. Tony LaRussa manages in St. Louis. But the following lineup projects to a little over 4.5 runs per game: DeRosa, Sandoval, Schierholtz, Huff, Rowand, Molina, Uribe, pitchers, Renteria. I can't argue with hitting DeRosa near the top, his lifetime .275/.343/.424 makes him our best hitter not named Sandoval. The Nate projections may be a tad optimistic, though. All of the idealized "best" lineups that compute to over 4.5 rpg involve Renteria hitting last, Molina no higher than 6th, Sandoval and DeRosa no lower than 3rd, Huff (mostly) at cleanup, and Rowand 3rd through 5th. And they expect a lot (.753 OPS) from Schierholtz. If the Giants score 4.5 rpg (or 9 runs every 2 games if decimal runs bother you), they will win the West.
This, though, is the Giants. And soon, it will be the real season and not the imaginary one. Aaron Rowand will lead off and Juan Uribe will hit second. This is because he is our second baseman, and our second baseman hits second. Please don't ask why, just accept. With Sandoval, Huff, DeRosa, Molina, Renteria, Schierholtz, and the pitcher following, LAT says 4.353 rpg. That's 705 runs, just about what the Cubs (707) scored in 2009, good for 10th place. Back in the real world, the team might get smart and put DeRosa at second base while FSanchez is out and bat him in front of Sandoval where his decent OBP skills will be of the most use. Since he's a "proven run producer" (Sabes-speak for "RBI guy") we will likely not see that. But it might be the best way to get either Fred Lewis (very unlikely) or John Bowker (certainly possible) into the lineup in left field. Uribe, despite his fine season last year (.824 OPS), is a Molina-like hacker and his low OBP (.298! lifetime) should NOT be at the top of the lineup. If we can find a way to get Mr. Upside Buster Posey into the lineup instead of Mr. Out-maker Bengie Molina, we just might have a league-average offense. Let's hope we figure out how to do that.
--M.C.
Baseball Musings has been running a series on team offense (see the Giants entry here). Mr. Pinto gives a breakdown of his procedure here. Mostly, he relies on Marcel the Monkey forecasts. The neat part is the Lineup Analysis Tool. You plug the player projections in to the lineup slots and see how many runs per game that combination creates. For the Giants, they score the most runs when the pitcher bats 8th! This, of course, will never happen. Tony LaRussa manages in St. Louis. But the following lineup projects to a little over 4.5 runs per game: DeRosa, Sandoval, Schierholtz, Huff, Rowand, Molina, Uribe, pitchers, Renteria. I can't argue with hitting DeRosa near the top, his lifetime .275/.343/.424 makes him our best hitter not named Sandoval. The Nate projections may be a tad optimistic, though. All of the idealized "best" lineups that compute to over 4.5 rpg involve Renteria hitting last, Molina no higher than 6th, Sandoval and DeRosa no lower than 3rd, Huff (mostly) at cleanup, and Rowand 3rd through 5th. And they expect a lot (.753 OPS) from Schierholtz. If the Giants score 4.5 rpg (or 9 runs every 2 games if decimal runs bother you), they will win the West.
This, though, is the Giants. And soon, it will be the real season and not the imaginary one. Aaron Rowand will lead off and Juan Uribe will hit second. This is because he is our second baseman, and our second baseman hits second. Please don't ask why, just accept. With Sandoval, Huff, DeRosa, Molina, Renteria, Schierholtz, and the pitcher following, LAT says 4.353 rpg. That's 705 runs, just about what the Cubs (707) scored in 2009, good for 10th place. Back in the real world, the team might get smart and put DeRosa at second base while FSanchez is out and bat him in front of Sandoval where his decent OBP skills will be of the most use. Since he's a "proven run producer" (Sabes-speak for "RBI guy") we will likely not see that. But it might be the best way to get either Fred Lewis (very unlikely) or John Bowker (certainly possible) into the lineup in left field. Uribe, despite his fine season last year (.824 OPS), is a Molina-like hacker and his low OBP (.298! lifetime) should NOT be at the top of the lineup. If we can find a way to get Mr. Upside Buster Posey into the lineup instead of Mr. Out-maker Bengie Molina, we just might have a league-average offense. Let's hope we figure out how to do that.
--M.C.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Bring me the head of the nearest GM
Take a look at this article by Alex Speier (fullcount.weei.com) on baseball's GMs (h/t to Harball Talk). His point--mainly--is that GMs aren't any younger or any more educated than they were 10 years ago, despite the high-profile success of wunderkinds like Theo Epstein in Boston. There are only four guys on the list who have been with the same team from 2000-2010, and one of them is Brian Sabean. The other three are Dan O'Dowd (Rockies), Billy Beane (A's), and Brian Cashman (Yankees). Mark Shapiro, GM of the Indians, discusses the state of the job (emphasis mine):
Here's my question for you long-suffering Giants fans--is our FO adapting? Has it raised the standards? Does it recognize that the competition is greater today than it was yesterday? Or is there someone on that list you'd rather have manning the helm? Sabes gets his share of lumps here at RMC--does he deserve it? When I see a lineup like this one I can get pretty excited about our future. But then I remember that this lineup is the one we are going with, and my balloon deflates. What say, mates?
--M.C.
(quote from Profile of a GM in 2010 by Alex Speier)
“When I say the quality, intelligence, aptitude and capability of front offices across the board has increased, it’s not just because some guys from Ivy League schools have become general managers. It’s because the standards have been raised, the competition is greater and people are adapting.”
Here's my question for you long-suffering Giants fans--is our FO adapting? Has it raised the standards? Does it recognize that the competition is greater today than it was yesterday? Or is there someone on that list you'd rather have manning the helm? Sabes gets his share of lumps here at RMC--does he deserve it? When I see a lineup like this one I can get pretty excited about our future. But then I remember that this lineup is the one we are going with, and my balloon deflates. What say, mates?
--M.C.
(quote from Profile of a GM in 2010 by Alex Speier)
Thursday, January 28, 2010
First Base
Whether Aubrey Lewis Huff is an upgrade over the options facing the Giants before his signing is moot at this point. He's our guy and we're stickin' with him. So--what are we getting and how does he stack up against the other mitt-men in the division? Let's take a look at his 10-season, 1322-game career numbers:
.282/.340/.472, (203 HR) 113 OPS+
How do the statheads project the 33-year old's 2010 season?
Bill James: .267/.334/.445, (20 HR) 107 wRC+***
CHONE: .263/.327/.438, (19 HR) 103 wRC+
Huff had a great year in 2008 and fell off a cliff in 2009. It's a familiar refrain and not worth re-hashing. This is a "quick-and-dirty" survey just to get the talk started. (I threw in the HR numbers because we all know the G-men are a bit short in the Dingerz Dept.)
Around the West, the class of the division is clearly Adrian Gonzalez in San Diego. This guy had a .958 OPS last year (166 OPS+, 6.3 WAR) and his career line is .281/.362/.506. He's a beast, he turns 30 in May, and there is no reason to expect him not to be one of the best players in the NL this season. Good thing he's on a weak squad! James Loney, the youngster (26 in May) in LA is seen as something of a disappointment due to his lack of power (.399 SLG in 2009). His career line is .295/.354/.451 with a 112 OPS+, and he projects a 115-116 wRC+. We all know Dodger fans are whiners and crybabies--if they don't like Loney they can always ship him our way. Todd Helton in Colorado is a genuine star, with a career .994 OPS (140 OPS+), but after 13 seasons of wear-and-tear there is some concern about the 36-year old's continued productivity. The projections say he's still a 3.0 WAR, 130 wRC+ player, which would be quite impressive. The Rockies would be smart to rest him a lot and pencil in a capable backup now and then. The Diamondbacks have a young slugger named Brandon Allen at AAA, but they decided they needed Adam LaRoche to man the bag for 2010. Giants fans thought we'd be seeing this fellow, but he is going to a park better suited to his power. He's an .834 OPS (116 OPS+) lifetime (6 seasons, 838 games). Bill James thinks the 29-year old will produce a 122 wRC+, but CHONE disagrees and only rates him at 110.
There you have it, mates. What are your thoughts on first base for 2010?
***wRC+ is scaled similarly to OPS+ (see this blog post for a nice primer on offensive stats), so 100 is "average."
.282/.340/.472, (203 HR) 113 OPS+
How do the statheads project the 33-year old's 2010 season?
Bill James: .267/.334/.445, (20 HR) 107 wRC+***
CHONE: .263/.327/.438, (19 HR) 103 wRC+
Huff had a great year in 2008 and fell off a cliff in 2009. It's a familiar refrain and not worth re-hashing. This is a "quick-and-dirty" survey just to get the talk started. (I threw in the HR numbers because we all know the G-men are a bit short in the Dingerz Dept.)
Around the West, the class of the division is clearly Adrian Gonzalez in San Diego. This guy had a .958 OPS last year (166 OPS+, 6.3 WAR) and his career line is .281/.362/.506. He's a beast, he turns 30 in May, and there is no reason to expect him not to be one of the best players in the NL this season. Good thing he's on a weak squad! James Loney, the youngster (26 in May) in LA is seen as something of a disappointment due to his lack of power (.399 SLG in 2009). His career line is .295/.354/.451 with a 112 OPS+, and he projects a 115-116 wRC+. We all know Dodger fans are whiners and crybabies--if they don't like Loney they can always ship him our way. Todd Helton in Colorado is a genuine star, with a career .994 OPS (140 OPS+), but after 13 seasons of wear-and-tear there is some concern about the 36-year old's continued productivity. The projections say he's still a 3.0 WAR, 130 wRC+ player, which would be quite impressive. The Rockies would be smart to rest him a lot and pencil in a capable backup now and then. The Diamondbacks have a young slugger named Brandon Allen at AAA, but they decided they needed Adam LaRoche to man the bag for 2010. Giants fans thought we'd be seeing this fellow, but he is going to a park better suited to his power. He's an .834 OPS (116 OPS+) lifetime (6 seasons, 838 games). Bill James thinks the 29-year old will produce a 122 wRC+, but CHONE disagrees and only rates him at 110.
There you have it, mates. What are your thoughts on first base for 2010?
***wRC+ is scaled similarly to OPS+ (see this blog post for a nice primer on offensive stats), so 100 is "average."
Saturday, August 15, 2009
7.1 6 3 3 0 2
Game Score 56
Quite the titanic struggle today, and a badly-needed win for our guys. Home runs have eluded us all season long, and just this week we've had two huge game-winning bombs--one by Juan "Don't Forget About Me" Uribe against the hated LAtriners and one by Bengie "Mr. VSC" Molina against the dreaded NYMs.
Matt Cain stepped up big today, going toe-to-toe with one of the game's elites. The terrible beaning of David Wright was unfortunate, you hate to see that happen to anyone. He's one of the best ballplayers in the league, and that naturally makes it a bigger story. Santana's retaliation--tossing at Sandoval and plunking Molina--looks pretty foolish in retrospect. The Giants seemed to shrug it off as "just baseball" but I get the feeling Santana knew he was getting yanked and figured he had nothing to lose. You have to "stand up for your guys" in the MLB, I reckon, and the chance presented itself so he took it. Cain's pitch was clearly not intentional and I wonder if the time-honored "tit-for-tat" baseball machismo code could use some updating. David Pinto thinks the Mets ace deserves to be fined.
This is the first time this season Matt has yielded three runs. He's given up zero runs three times, one run nine times, two runs four times, four runs three times, and five runs three times in his previous 22 starts (I'm dropping the 1-2/3 IP injury-shortened start on July 11). Isn't that weird? Despite the hiccup in the 8th inning I thought it was a great start today, especially considering the circumstances. His game score of 56 was below his season average of 60. Tim's average game score, for comparison, is 66. Just a few fun little numbers to feed our Matt & Tim frenzy!
Final thought? You have to love beating Francisco Rodriguez. Even if it was another one of those pesky 2002 Angels that did it.
Quite the titanic struggle today, and a badly-needed win for our guys. Home runs have eluded us all season long, and just this week we've had two huge game-winning bombs--one by Juan "Don't Forget About Me" Uribe against the hated LAtriners and one by Bengie "Mr. VSC" Molina against the dreaded NYMs.
Matt Cain stepped up big today, going toe-to-toe with one of the game's elites. The terrible beaning of David Wright was unfortunate, you hate to see that happen to anyone. He's one of the best ballplayers in the league, and that naturally makes it a bigger story. Santana's retaliation--tossing at Sandoval and plunking Molina--looks pretty foolish in retrospect. The Giants seemed to shrug it off as "just baseball" but I get the feeling Santana knew he was getting yanked and figured he had nothing to lose. You have to "stand up for your guys" in the MLB, I reckon, and the chance presented itself so he took it. Cain's pitch was clearly not intentional and I wonder if the time-honored "tit-for-tat" baseball machismo code could use some updating. David Pinto thinks the Mets ace deserves to be fined.
This is the first time this season Matt has yielded three runs. He's given up zero runs three times, one run nine times, two runs four times, four runs three times, and five runs three times in his previous 22 starts (I'm dropping the 1-2/3 IP injury-shortened start on July 11). Isn't that weird? Despite the hiccup in the 8th inning I thought it was a great start today, especially considering the circumstances. His game score of 56 was below his season average of 60. Tim's average game score, for comparison, is 66. Just a few fun little numbers to feed our Matt & Tim frenzy!
Final thought? You have to love beating Francisco Rodriguez. Even if it was another one of those pesky 2002 Angels that did it.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Problems I like to have
That fellow with the finger in his mouth has played 332 minor league games--154 at first base, 142 at catcher, 21 at third base, and 15 as a DH. As a member of the 2008 Giants, he logged 41 games--17 as a first baseman, 12 as a third baseman, and 11 as catcher. We've good reasons to try him at third, despite the weirdness of the whole thing:
1. Apparently we have no one else. Unless the resuscitated corpses of Juan Uribe and Rich Aurilia excite you, we've got no one else.
2. We have a catcher. His cup runneth over with Veteran Savvy Clutchness (hat tip to the blogger I stole that from, wish I could remember who you are). This is the stuff gamers are made from, and Señor Slow's stock in the organization is high because of it. Bosses like it. Fans like it. Reporters like it.
3. Gerald Demp Posey III. Yep. That's his real moniker. Now you know why he goes by "Buster." A truly great baseball name by the way, also a great name for border collies. To stretch the analogy to the breaking point, think of catchers as the herders and drovers of the ballclub, rounding up strays, barking orders, generally taking charge due to superior intelligence and athleticism.
Which brings me to our Catcher in the Wings. Check out the item on Extra Baggs from this morning, "More on Posey." Andrew Baggarly passes on some complimentary quotes from Jeremy Affeldt, but also speaks highly of the kid's demeanor. All the news about our young star is good so far this spring. He hits. He hits with power. He has plate discipline. He's athletic, strong, and showing good skills with his glove and arm. Now he's calling games. It is starting to freak me out, all this Buster press, I keep waiting to hear something critical, for someone to point out his shortcomings. The Giants know that no. 1's contract is up this year. I really, really, really, really hope that the organization will part ways with him. We've got young Sandoval, who has actual minor and major league experience as a catcher, and we like him so much we'll shoehorn him in almost any place on the diamond just to get his bat in the lineup. And we've got this rising star, this number one draft pick, this sure-thing-can't-miss otherworldly talent a heartbeat from the bigs. Buster wil get his call-up in September, and we'll be pencilling him in to start behind the plate in 2010. Unless Pablito & the Brain Trust's Travelling Infield Show dazzles fans and big shots alike this spring at The Hot Corner, we could have a problem. But I think I like this problem. What do you guys think?
p.s. Japan 6, USA 2 after six. I like the idea of the WBC, but I must admit I've spent far more time following Six Nations Rugby these last few weeks. Way to go, Ireland! I think they should move it to the fall, after the World Series. So, second thread--your thoughts on the WBC now that Jonathan Sanchez is back home with the team.
1. Apparently we have no one else. Unless the resuscitated corpses of Juan Uribe and Rich Aurilia excite you, we've got no one else.
2. We have a catcher. His cup runneth over with Veteran Savvy Clutchness (hat tip to the blogger I stole that from, wish I could remember who you are). This is the stuff gamers are made from, and Señor Slow's stock in the organization is high because of it. Bosses like it. Fans like it. Reporters like it.
3. Gerald Demp Posey III. Yep. That's his real moniker. Now you know why he goes by "Buster." A truly great baseball name by the way, also a great name for border collies. To stretch the analogy to the breaking point, think of catchers as the herders and drovers of the ballclub, rounding up strays, barking orders, generally taking charge due to superior intelligence and athleticism.
Which brings me to our Catcher in the Wings. Check out the item on Extra Baggs from this morning, "More on Posey." Andrew Baggarly passes on some complimentary quotes from Jeremy Affeldt, but also speaks highly of the kid's demeanor. All the news about our young star is good so far this spring. He hits. He hits with power. He has plate discipline. He's athletic, strong, and showing good skills with his glove and arm. Now he's calling games. It is starting to freak me out, all this Buster press, I keep waiting to hear something critical, for someone to point out his shortcomings. The Giants know that no. 1's contract is up this year. I really, really, really, really hope that the organization will part ways with him. We've got young Sandoval, who has actual minor and major league experience as a catcher, and we like him so much we'll shoehorn him in almost any place on the diamond just to get his bat in the lineup. And we've got this rising star, this number one draft pick, this sure-thing-can't-miss otherworldly talent a heartbeat from the bigs. Buster wil get his call-up in September, and we'll be pencilling him in to start behind the plate in 2010. Unless Pablito & the Brain Trust's Travelling Infield Show dazzles fans and big shots alike this spring at The Hot Corner, we could have a problem. But I think I like this problem. What do you guys think?
p.s. Japan 6, USA 2 after six. I like the idea of the WBC, but I must admit I've spent far more time following Six Nations Rugby these last few weeks. Way to go, Ireland! I think they should move it to the fall, after the World Series. So, second thread--your thoughts on the WBC now that Jonathan Sanchez is back home with the team.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Tim Lincecum Cult
There's a blog called More Hardball that has a post today titled Man Games Roar! That is an anagram of More Anagrams!
Here's the thing--I ranted earlier this morning about a Tim Lincecum cult. Then I read the Timothy Lincecum anagram on More Hardball:
I'm one mythic cult.
/twilight zone music
Respond, O My Brothers.
Here's the thing--I ranted earlier this morning about a Tim Lincecum cult. Then I read the Timothy Lincecum anagram on More Hardball:
I'm one mythic cult.
/twilight zone music
Respond, O My Brothers.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
55 for 55
Tim Lincecum's fifty-fifth appearance dazzled: his first SHUTOUT! Four lousy singles (two in the ninth), twelve strikeouts - including Gonzales three times - never in doubt. This performance, while solidly placing Tim in Cy Young command, will again bring out cries of "abuse!" Who knows? Tonight's thrills make one wonder...
Is Tim the new Barry?
Author's note: This 55-word post, in the spirit of M.C. O'Connor's series of mini-sagas starring Matt Cadd, honors a minor numerical milepost on the highway to stardom. I bet you expected tonight’s title to be Completely Tim, didn’t you? Heckles should assume similar form, as this note did...try Word Count Tool!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Welcome Fellow Blogmate!
Hey everybody! Check out a new Giants Blog:
Welcome to the battle. Keep your head up and your eyes open. Strange days lay ahead and we need all the help we can get. GOOD LUCK and congrats on the nice start!
Welcome to the battle. Keep your head up and your eyes open. Strange days lay ahead and we need all the help we can get. GOOD LUCK and congrats on the nice start!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
8 2 0 0 3 10
As if in response to the plethora of wondering fans, Matt Cain laid to rest any notion that he may not be an "Ace." Worry no longer. Mr. Cain is the real deal. He can pitch with anybody in this league, including teammates Tim Lincecum and Jonathan Sanchez. And, oh by the way...He's the youngest of the those three!
It is hard not to be filled with schpilkas this smoky morn. Matt Cain threw, agrueably, the strongest start for a Giant this year. Athough missing a couple big bats, the Cubs are, what Stephen Colbert would call, a formidable opponent. Matt sliced through them, especially late in the game. His fastball, clocked at 97 mph, made Ryan Theriot look bad to end the seventh. The next two outs were also K's and the final out for Matt was the rather memorable, spectacular, but not graceful dive and throw by Castillo. (If you did not see it, go now.) Perhaps the most telling feature of how well Matt performed was his complete domination of Kosuke Fukudome. How do you say "hat trick" in Japanese?
Beyond the resurgence of Mr. Cain, the game also featured some more reasons to really like Fred Lewis. I'm talking serious man-love. Fred scored both runs, one of which was stealing home on the front end of a double steal. He had badly screwed this same play earlier this year (too lazy to look it up), but this time Fred executed perfectly. He continually shows improvement and that is EXCITING. ....The sobering thought is the only reason Fred is playing enough to develop before our eyes is because Roberts got hurt. Would our management have done it right on their own?
***If you like the lovely artwork above, then you will love this FanPost on the McCovey Chronicle from yesterday. (I guess photo credit goes to Natto.)
Friday, June 27, 2008
5 8 4 4 2 4
I must confess to completely missing any coverage of yesterday's game, another loss for our young Mr. Cain (4-6). It would seem that the game was actually one of the least distinctive or dramatic losses of the season. One indication of this might be the almost complete lack of blog action, more on that later. Anyway, it looks like an ol' fashioned whooping at the hands of a super talented pitcher, Cliff Lee (11-1). Matt's struggling 101 pitch, 5 inning performance was clearly no match. I must admit to being surprised that Denker was in the lineup. Tough chance; sit for a week, then go in against Cliff Lee. I really have my doubts that we are doing the right thing with Denker/Burriss. Otherwise, unless you are an Indian fan, this game is better forgotten.
Since I had to use the internet ( no TV, what a radical!! ) to get caught up, I thought I might take a second to check in with a few of my favorite fellow Giants blogmates. Normally, I don't like it when reporters report on other reporters, but I am relatively new to this amazing resource so I'm still quite giddy. Literally the best thing about this monkey-puke season is my daily journey into Giants cyberville. If you are like me, there are a few sites that I must check just about everyday. Here are a couple of my current favorites:
#1 McCovey Chronicles: This is a no-brainer. Obviously the hub of info and conversation about all things Giants. Some of my buddies are intimidated by the size, scope and "busyness" of the site, but I dig it. Be sure to look at the most current Minor Lines, the best way to keep up with our "future."
#2 El Lefty Malo: This site is the current favorite of M.C. O'Connor, "cock of the walk" here at RMC. This blog, which updates almost everyday, is consistently witty and super baseball savvy. This is one of the first sites that really made it clear to me that I could learn and enjoy more from blogs than from any regular newspapers.
#3 Giants Win: Another site that updates often, sometimes more than once a day. This site provides the service of gathering media highlights (articles, blogs, rumors, etc) and slicing and dicing it up. Always fun and a great way to learn about new sites.
#4 Bay City Ball: If you want intelligent, insightful and well documented Giants analysis, then this is the site for you. I have learned more in one article by Chris, then in a lifetime of reading Glenn Dickey so some other schmoe. The guy is super nice and a semi-regular "heckler" here, hope to hear more from you!
#5 obsessivegiantscompulsive: Another great correspondent and analyst is Martin at OGC. When I want a lengthy, meaty, detailed discussion of some Giants minutae, (and who doesn't want that regularly?) I head here. Martin has a great sense of the big picture and our future...and he's still very positive! Go figure.
These are the top 5 off the top of my head and I'm sure that I missed some other great sites. My apologies. I have no doubt there are several other blogs that are plugging along just like us and our beloved team. Let me know.
Where do you go when you miss a game? Is the newspaper or the Giants page enough? Which Giants Blogs can you not live without?
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